Unity
by TMNTgrl
Summary: Humans and Reploids living in harmony...a dream that has been far shattered by the rise of arenas where Reploids must fight one another to the death like gladiators. Someone has to put a stop to this madness... Axlcentric, rated for violence and language.


**_A/N: What's this? A fic? An actual chaptered fic?_**

**_That I've actually finished _writing_?_**

**_Holy shit._**

**_And holy shit why is this document 106 pages long._**

**_Warning: Fic contains robots, OCs, and lots and lots of Axl._**

* * *

A Reploid's scream of panic was cut off as a blade slashed across his chest, the sound trailing off into a choked whimper. For just a moment, his gaze met that of his attacker, and then his optics slowly fuzzed over to gray as the life drained from his body.

In another world far away, a lone figure watched the scene with pain in his gentle green eyes. "This is wrong," he murmured, slowly sinking into a sitting position. "Fighting to the death like this for no cause . . ."

He remained unfazed by the shadowy figure approaching him. "You know you can't change anything, X. No matter how long you watch," the shadow said.

"Yes. I know." X trembled slightly and scooted over to allow the shadow to sit down alongside him. "It pains me to see so many innocents fighting one another like gladiators. I wish I could do something."

"Everyone is too afraid to step up," the shadow grumbled. "Someone has to take a stand."

"They need a hero," X agreed.

"Not just any hero, though," the shadow put in. "Someone with not only a strong heart and skill in battle . . . someone with an open mind and an unbreakable spirit. Someone like . . ." His voice trailed off, and he gave a sad sigh.

"Zero, are you thinking of-?"

"Yeah."

"That'd be great, but you know as well as I do that there's no telling if he survived what happened."

"We can still hope, can't we?"

"I suppose. Someone needs to try to put an end to this soon . . . humans and Reploids were never meant to be enemies like this."

"It's pitiful," Zero said with a hint of scorn in his tone. "That two species so similar can't just get over the minor differences. I've seen the worst of it firsthand. You'd think they'd learn that there's no hope for peace if this keeps up."

"If only," X sighed. "If only."

"Team three, north side. Team five, south side. All the rest, with me."

"Er, boss." The Reploid took off his helmet and scratched his head. "Y'know this mine is so old that we're not gonna find anything. It looks like the underground portion collapsed ages ago."

"Probably true, but we've been given direct orders to excavate all mines," the leader of the team said with a shrug. "Get to work. And everyone be careful," he added, raising his voice.

The Reploids quickly got to work, their tools breaking effortlessly through rusty steel beams and crumbling wooden supports. There was no small talk; for several hours, they spoke only to give the occasional order or to request help with a stubborn chunk of stone.

_Clank!_

"What was _that_?" one of the Reploids called out.

"I think we found something!" another exclaimed, cautiously tapping the solid mass of metal with his pick. "Help me pull this up!"

"Careful, there's some explosives in the vicinity!"

"Don't worry; scans are showing that they're inert."

The leader of the team hurried over just in time to see the team haul the object out of the trench. "What in the . . . ?"

On the pile of freshly excavated soil lay an unconscious, young-looking Reploid. His dark blue armor was streaked with red highlights, his spiky auburn hair caked in dirt. A deep X-shaped scar marked his face, and his fingers were curled around the trigger of a pistol.

"Get the medic," ordered the team leader.

The medic was already rushing forward, drawing a pair of small electrodes from his kit as he arrived. Without a word, he knelt alongside the motionless Reploid and touched the electrodes to the back of his neck. The Reploid gave no response.

"Is he alive?" one of the workers piped up.

As if in answer to the question, the juvenile's trigger finger twitched.

"Good," the medic murmured. He carefully increased the voltage of the electrodes. "You're a strong one. Nice and easy now . . ."

"Nn . . . nnrgh . . ." The adolescent Reploid opened his green eyes and immediately closed them again in a wince. "Wh-where am I?" he mumbled. "What . . . wh-what's going on . . . ?"

"Excellent," the medic sighed, clearly relieved. "He should be fine."

The Reploid seemed to shiver for a moment before slowly pushing himself up, and dusting himself off. He was trembling slightly, but after rubbing his eyes to adjust them to the sharp daylight he appeared to gradually settle down. "Maaaan, I'm gonna have grit in my joints for a month." He rose to his feet, stumbling as his legs tried to give out on him. "Thanks for digging me out of there."

"Er . . . of course. You're welcome."

Axl scratched his head, beginning to feel uncomfortable with so many bemused gazes focused on him. The motion of his fingers dislodged several clods of earth from his spiky hair. "Uh, I oughta get back to headquarters. Thanks again!"

"Ahh . . ." Axl stretched his arms over his head with a yawn. Every movement caused small bits of dirt to shower from his joints, and he had spent the walk continually scratching the back of his head, irritated by the feel of the grit trapped in his hair. At least the fresh air had helped calm him down from his initial shake at being woken up.

And yet the farther he walked, the more his sense of unease began to grow. He hadn't been _that_ far from headquarters, so why . . .

Where _was_ it . . . ?

After some time, he slowed to a stop, trembling faintly. It was here. It should have been here. Why wasn't it here? There should have been a building and Hunters everywhere, and why . . .

Why was he staring at a stretch of empty concrete with no building or Reploid in sight . . . ?

_It's gone_, a voice in the back of his head cried. _Why is it gone?! Where is everyone?!_

_ Where's my _home_?!_

Shivering visibly, he slowly turned and headed down the familiar path toward the nearest town. Weeds snaked out from cracks in the asphalt under his feet.

When he saw people moving about the city streets, the knot in his stomach loosened a fraction. "Hey there!" he called, spotting a mechanic emerging from a garage. "Can you tell me-"

The human took one look at him, gasped in terror, and took off down the street.

"Wait! Aw . . ." Axl's shoulders slumped. A moment later, he caught sight of a woman and a child. "'Scuse me, can you-"

They, too, fled at the sight of him.

"Come _on_!" Axl flung up his hands. "Can't anybody take two seconds to talk to me? I'm a Maverick _Hunter_, not a Maverick!" He glanced around the busy streets for a few moments, realizing that he hadn't seen a single other Reploid since he had left the workers behind at the mine. Another chill ran up his back.

"H-hey you! Over here!"

"Huh?" Axl turned around, smiling when he saw a Reploid waving to him from the darkness of a back alley. "Hi there."

"Come over here, quickly! Before they find you!"

"Before who what?" With a shrug, Axl did as his fellow Reploid said. "What's going on? Why are you hiding?"

"What do you think you're _doing_, you idiot?"

"I'm trying to find some help," Axl replied.

"By talking to humans? Are you _crazy_?!"

A pause.

"What . . . exactly are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about getting yourself arrested or worse! You have a work permit, don't you?"

Axl rubbed the back of his neck uncertainly. "I think I missed something here."

"Ohh, you have to run! Get far away from this city or you'll be thrown in the arena for sure!"

"Okay, okay, slow down." Axl knelt, placing his hands on the Reploid's trembling shoulders. "Relax. What do you mean I'll end up in an arena? I'm not-"

A short distance away, someone gave a shrill scream.

Axl was on his feet at once. "Right . . . have to talk to you later. Sounds like duty calls." With a wave of farewell, he hurried out of the alley and sprinted toward the sound.

"So-someone help us!" the young woman cried, clinging desperately to the arm of the man standing next to her. They were surrounded by three Reploids, all of whom were armed with knives. "Help! Police!"

"Tch," the man grumbled. He pulled his arm away from her grasp and brushed a strand of brown hair from in front of his eyes. Though his knees shook, he glared defiance at the trio of Reploids, who staggered toward them with lurching gaits and glazed eyes, as though they were drunk. "Useless-ass police aren't gonna help us. Ah, hell . . ."

_Crack_!

The sharp sound of the pistol's fire echoed off of the surrounding buildings. "You three mind telling me what you think you're doing?" Axl asked curtly. The friendly smile had disappeared from his face, and his fingers were tight around the trigger of his gun.

"Kill 'im!" snarled one of the three Reploids. "Kill all three of 'em!" He took a few unsteady steps toward Axl.

_Crack_!

"Yaaaahahagh!" The Reploid promptly collapsed, clutching at the bullet hole in his foot.

As soon as he saw the familiar symptoms of slurred speech, loss of balance, and violent outbursts, Axl had a good guess as to the reason behind the attack. "Listen, all three of you need to be in a hospital. I've seen this virus before; if you don't get treatment, your control chips will give out."

"Sh-shut up!" stuttered the second of the three Reploids. "I'll kill ya, you traitor-!"

With a roll of his eyes, Axl raised his pistol. "Want me to shoot your foot, too?"

The two remaining Reploids both rushed at him. A few moments later, they both lay on the ground, groaning in pain and clutching at fresh wounds. "Well then," Axl said, his relaxed demeanor returning now that the threat had passed. "That oughta take care of them until the police get here. You two okay?" he added with a grin at the pair of humans.

The young woman let out another screech of terror, and the man winced and cast her an exasperated glance.

"What?" Axl said. "It's okay; you're safe now. I'm not gonna hurt you, honest."

"Don't move."

Axl spun to see that two police Reploids had approached him from behind. "Oh. S'up? It's about time you guys got here."

"Identification number, please."

"Heh?"

"Give us your identification number and worker's permit."

Axl scratched his head. "Um . . . I'm Axl? I'm a Maverick Hunter?"

The police began to walk closer to him; a few more emerged from behind as if to ensure that he couldn't leave the scene. "H-hey, take it easy!" Axl cried. "I wasn't trying to hurt anyone; those three on the ground are infected with a virus and-"

"They will be dealt with. As for you, if you don't have identification, you must be taken in for questioning." One of the police Reploids grasped Axl's arm, but the gunner immediately yanked away.

"Leave me the hell alone!" he yelped. "Jeez, talk about ungrateful!"

"_We_ would have controlled the situation momentarily!"

"Yeah, well _I_ decided to take care of it before someone got hurt." Axl shouldered past the nearest two authority figures. "I'm outta here."

"He's rogue," declared another of the police Reploids. "Possibly insane."

"Am not!" Axl snapped back. When the police drew their weapons, he turned to run.

One of them fired. Electricity exploded through Axl's spine; at once, his body went rigid and he dropped to the ground. "Dammit," he groaned. "Stupid paralysis guns . . ."

"This one has spirit," said a police Reploid. "He's dangerous."

"_Dangerous_?" Axl whined. "Aw, come _on_!"

"Protocol says it's the arena for him," another agreed.

"No way am I giving up that easily," Axl growled. With a massive effort, he rolled over and fired his pistol at the chest of the nearest police Reploid.

A sharp kick to the side of the head slammed him into unconsciousness.

* * *

**_A/N: Well that started off well, didn't it. What's going on? Why's Axl being arrested? Where the fuck did headquarters go?_**

**_Stay tuned to find out~!_**


End file.
